First of its kind experiment uses diamond anvils to simulate the Earth's core
Wednesday, April 15, 2020 - 11:10
in Physics & Chemistry
In an effort to investigate conditions found at the Earth's molten outer core, researchers successfully determined the density of liquid iron and the speed at which sound propagates through it at extremely high pressures. They achieved this with use of a highly specialized diamond anvil that compresses samples, and sophisticated X-ray measurements. Their findings confirm the molten outer core is less dense than liquid iron, and also put values on the discrepancy.